Healthy Schools Partners

Given the vast health challenges facing Mississippians, The Bower Foundation directs its funds and energies into making sustainable, systemic improvements in the state's health and education infrastructures. Through strong partnerships, the Foundation leverages limited resources into grants that support mutual goals of better health outcomes and policy.

Center for Mississippi Health Policy
The Center for MS Health Policy is an independent non-partisan, non-profit organization that provides objective information to inform health policy decisions. The Center’s core functions are policy analysis, information dissemination, analysis of legislation and regulations, as well as sponsorship of health policy forums and other venues for dialogue.

The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Healthy Schools and the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Office of Preventive Health receive federal funds to help implement adolescent health programs associated with preventable risk factors. This School Health Collaborative aims to improve adolescent health by focusing on:

Strategies to prevent health conditions associated with diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and to promote school health.

Increasing the number of schools that provide health education on key health problems, such as HIV, other STD, and pregnancy.

The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through Education, Advocacy and Research. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Fighting for Air." When you join the American Lung Association in the fight for healthy lungs and healthy air, you help save lives today and keep America healthy tomorrow. Affecting more than six million children, asthma is the leading serious chronic illness among American kids and is the number one reason for school absenteeism. In addition to providing vital research support, the American Lung Association facilitates asthma-care partnerships involving school nurses and educational staff as well as physicians, families and Lung Association volunteers. Further information regarding asthma effects on students can be found in Healthier Students are Better Learners: A Missing Link in School Reforms to Close the Gap, by Charles E. Basch.

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi
The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi provides diabetes research, information, patient services and advocacy to the 346,500 Mississippians living with diabetes.

A strong foundation is vital, whether it is for a building, organization or a community. The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi is working to build a healthier Mississippi for generations to come by creating a strong foundation of health and wellness awareness in the state. The Let's Go Walkin' Program has been established to help you improve your health, your mood and your life with the simple act of walking every day. Walking will improve your health, help you breathe easier, build stronger muscles and much more. You’ll get that good feeling that comes from being active, and you will be setting a good example for others. With the simple act of walking, you give a little time and get back so much more. Let's Go Walkin' Mississippi!

SUDIA

The Southeast United Dairy Industry Association - The Southeast United Dairy Industry Association is a non-profit organization funded by the dairy farm families of the southeast and is committed to ending the obesity and calcium crisis among our youth. Regionally, the South is home to nine of the top 10 states with the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and physical inactivity. Additionally, data from the USDA indicates that seven out of 10 teen boys and nine out of 10 teen girls are not getting the calcium they need. By working with schools, throughout the Southeast, we are addressing these problems and helping our children live healthier lives.

Fuel Up to Play 60

Fuel Up to Play 60 – Healthy Students are Better Students! Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council, the Southeast Dairy Association and the NFL. It’s all about getting students to “fuel up” with nutrient –rich foods missing from their diets, like low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to “get up and play” for 60 minutes each day. And now, new research shows that better nutrition, starting with breakfast, coupled with increased physical activity can lead to better academic achievement. Fuel Up to Play 60 also understands the real-world circumstances of resource-strapped schools by offering funding opportunities to help schools make strides in achieving wellness goals.

The mission of the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi is to provide educational information and awareness about the impact of tobacco on Mississippi and to improve the culture of health in Mississippi by applying lessons learned in tobacco prevention to other leading causes of death and disease impacting our State and Nation.

Action for Healthy Kids has launched an online monitoring component to assist schools in accessing their wellness policy. This online instrument will track policy implementation to ensure policies are improving nutrition and physical activity practices in schools.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation serves as a catalyst for children’s health. They work with schools, companies, community organizations, healthcare professionals and families to transform the conditions and systems that lead to healthier kids. The organization’s goal is to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity and to empower kids to develop lifelong, healthy habits. Founded by the American Heart Association and Clinton Foundation, they are collaborative change-makers working to create a nation where children thrive. They collaborate with and empower people and leaders to transform the environments that can make a difference in a child’s health: homes, schools, doctor’s offices and communities.

The Office of Healthy Schools and the Mississippi Department of Transportation have partnered to provide safety programming for schools across the state. Some of those programs include: Safe Routes to School Lesson Plans for teachers, Crossing Guard Training and a Transportation Safety Education Program for middle schools. Check out the MDOT website to learn about MDOT safety education programs that are available for school and safety events in our state.

The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Healthy Schools and The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office have partnered to promote The National Association of Attorneys General Resolution in support of Teen Dating Violence. This resolution encourages:

Each school district to teach an age-appropriate dating violence curriculum through health education classes.

Each school district to develop a dating violence policy to address incidents of dating violence that occur at school and inform parents of such policy.

Each school district to provide dating violence training to administrators, teachers, nurses and mental health staff at the middle and high school levels.

The Office of Healthy Schools partnered with the Attorney General’s Office, to provide age appropriate lesson plans relating to the topic of dating violence for teacher use. These plans can be found on the Health in Action website.

The Mississippi Department of Education's Office of Healthy Schools and The Mississippi Development of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks have partnered to promote the No Child Left Inside Program to promote a healthy active lifestyle. The National Archery in Schools Program is provided to support a quality physical education program for schools.

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Ed Said Program

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) has unveiled Ed Said, a web-based program aimed at combating childhood obesity. Ed Said is a boy who loves to rap about healthy eating. His message to kids is clear: “It’s not hocus pocus, eating healthy keeps you focused.”

“Grapes are Great,” “Appealing Banana,” “Vision’s So Bright with Carrots,” and “Green Beans in Your Cuisine” are some of the episodes that kids can watch and dance along to on EdSaid.org. Children can download the songs and music videos to their computers and iPods and even choose Ed Said-inspired ringtones for their cell phones.

Ed’s creator, CJ Burks, was inspired to develop the program after learning of the work of an elementary school teacher in Corinth named Kay Strickland, who came up with a classroom curriculum called “Moving with Fruits and Vegetables.”